About Studying in Korea and Korean Universities!

Applying for a Student Visa (D-2)

If you’ve been accepted into the university of your choice, congratulations! The next step would be to apply for a student visa, the D-2 visa in this case if you’re pursuing your undergraduate studies. If you’re only going on exchange (for one semester) or a summer program, it’s not the D-2 visa you should be applying for in this case.

To apply for a student visa, you will have to go down to the Korean Embassy in your country. I’m not too sure about other countries, but for Singapore, these are the documents you will require:

1. Certificate of Admission from your school

This will be issued to you from your school by mail, as the original document is required. Please also remember to make a photocopy.

2. Your passport

This will be kept in their possession for the period of time they need to make the visa.

3. Statement of bank account for the past 3 months

If your parents are the sponsors for your education, make sure you bring their bank statement as well as your birth certificate, and the IC(s) of the owner of the bank account. The minimum amount of money in the bank account should be the amount of money you’ll require for your tuition fees, expenses, etc in Korea that has been indicated on your Certificate of Admission. Remember to make photocopies.

4. Certificate of Graduation from High School

I’m not sure why they need to see that you’ve already graduated from High School (or Junior College in the Singaporean context) since the university should have confirmed it when you applied. But anyway, just bring it along.

The documents required for Singaporeans applying for the D-2 visa were not indicated on their website, so I had to make 2 trips down to the Korean embassy because I didn’t know that I had to bring the graduation certs and stuff T_____T For those in other countries, if the documents required are also not indicated on the website, you can give them a call to check with them so that you won’t have to make so many trips like me.

You will also need to pay a fee of SGD$71 if you’re making a single entry visa (that is, you will stay in Korea all the way until you finish your studies) or SGD$114 for a multiple entry visa (that is, you can travel in and out of Korea during the length of your studies). It will take about 4 working days to process the application, after which you will be able to collect your passport with the visa in it.

The Korean Embassy in Singapore can only issue up to 2 years of stay in Korea, but once you get your Alien Registration Card (ARC) and extend it accordingly, you will not need to extend the visa again.

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24 thoughts on “Applying for a Student Visa (D-2)”

Hi! Thanks for creating this page, it is so helpful! I’d just like to confirm one thing – does it only take 4 days to complete the entire process? I read somewhere that it takes 2 months…?? If it only takes 4 days, I have a lot more time to prepare… tks!

I’m from Singapore, so this is really really helpful! I’m hoping to take Korean lessons in Yonsei this June, and now am in the planning stage – I’m sure your blog will be of so much help in my journey. Tks!

I got a 2 year visa when I applied at the Korean embassy in Singapore, but they said that I can apply for extension when I’m in Korea. But anyway once you get your Alien Registration card they don’t even look at your visa anymore, even in the airport they just ask for my Alien Reg card usually O.O

Hi! I am from Singapore and am going to Seoul National University for exchange next year (1 semester only). Do I apply for a D-2 visa or a different visa? I went to SNU website and they just wrote D-2 visa.

Are you currently staying in Singapore? If you are, then you would have to go to the Korea Embassy in Singapore to apply for the visa to Korea.
If you’re currently staying in Bangladesh, then you would have to go to the Korea embassy in Bangladesh to apply for the visa to Korea.

If you’re talking about admission to UIC, it’s regardless of your location, as long as you complete the application and submit it on time ^^

Hello!
It will depend on whether you are applying for undergraduate studies, or a Korean language institute to learn Korean. To enroll in an undergraduate programme in any Korean university, you would have to have at least graduated from high school or equivalent. To apply, visit the websites of the universities to download their application forms, check out their application schedule, send in the application before the deadline, and wait for the school to contact you for interview ^^ That’s the process in short but there are many more things you have to do, especially in the application..

Hi! your blog is really helpful! thanks!
i just have one question though, when i applied for the application, the school sponsored most of my fees except for the personal funds which is $2000. I have already that money in my bank account, now, do i need to write a sponsor’s name on my application visa?likethe person who would help me there finance my other fees like the tuition fee..?
sorry if my question is unclear..

Since you already have that amount of money in your bank account, you just need to show a copy of your bank statement or some letter than can show how much you have in your bank account, and so you wouldn’t need a sponsor’s name. Sponsor’s name is only if for instance, you don’t have $2000 in your bank account and so you will use the bank account of your parents, then you will write your parent’s name as the sponsor. Hope that helped!

thanks that really helped and one more thing..
i passed all the documents already however i forgot to sign the certificate of admission, i mean i forgot my signature..will there be a chance that i get denied because of it?

Actually it should also be the responsibility of the officer at the embassy to check that all documents are in place.. If the officer maybe gave you a receipt and told you to come back at a certain date to get your visa, it probably means that everything is okay and they will issue the visa to you without problems.. Otherwise you might want to check with them just in case (:

Hi this blog is really helpful! I am going to Korea next semester for exchange around late February, and I want to apply for my visa soon. However, my exchange university has yet to informed me of the orientation dates, and my certificate of admission has placed by start and end date as 27th Feb and 30th June. May I ask if I can apply for my visa to start a week or even two weeks before 27th (so that I can travel or settle down earlier first) and apply for my visa to end later than 30th June? Thank you for your help.

Hi, not sure if this is too late but from what I know you should be able to enter earlier (please check with embassy) but I don’t think you will be able to leave later… You could leave for say Japan, return your alien registration card (which means that your visa will no longer be valid) and then come back to Korea again on tourist visa.

Hi there, I am a student currently preparing for exchange next sem! Was wondering if the “your school” in the ‘certificate of admission of your school’ meant my SG uni or the Korea uni and if it is the Korea uni cert required, is the online cert that they sent to me via portals considered as an official and original one? Or do I have to wait for the admission package in order for me to apply for the visa?